Spring and air cushion



May 17, 1938. M. STUBNITZ 2,117,524

'SPRING AND AIR CUSHION Filed June 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -J w A W I I /l' l II\\ T i II 4 (J IN VENT OR.

ATTORNEYS.

May 17, ,1 938. M. STUBNIII'Z 2,1 17,524

SPRING AND AIR CUSHION Filed June 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENT OR.

ZEM.WM W

' ATTORNEYS Patented May 17, 1938 SPRING AND AIR CUSHION Maurice Stubnitz; Adrian, Mich,

assignor to Stubnitz-Greene Spring Corporation, Adrian, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 8, 1936, Serial No. 84,038

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a spring and air cushion.

It is broadly old in the art to provide the upholstered spring cushion with a bottom closure plate which is either perforated or spaced from the edges of the bottom frame to regulate the outflow of air entrapped within the cushion as the cushion is being loaded and to regulate the inflow of air into the cushion as the load is being removed.

This invention relates particularly to the manner in which the bottom closure plate and the spring assembly are secured to the frame.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the spring and air cushion with the trimming partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections taken along the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing the steps pursued in securing the spring assembly and bottom closure plate to the bottom frame.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a spring and air cushion comprising a bottom frame I which extends completely around the cushion, cross slats 2, coil springs 3 and a cover 4.

The coil springs 3 are assembled together as a separate unit. The springs 3 are connected at the top by the cross stay wires 5 and at the bottom by the channel section strips 6 which are clamped on to the lower convolution of each of the coil springs as at I. The bottom frame I is reinforced by a plurality of slats 2 which have their ends flared as at B and then bent upwardly as at 9 and downwardly as at I about the upstanding portion of the frame I. The slats are secured to the frame by indenting at spaced points as at II the return bent portions 9 and ID as well as the upper portion of the frame I which they overlap.

The bottom of the frame is arranged to be closed by the closure plate I2 which is positioned upon, and supported by, the slats 2. The closure plate I2 has a relatively tight fit along its edges with the frame I and is provided with the necessary number of holes I3 to permit and properly regulate the flow of air into and out of the cushion.

After the closure plate I2 has been positioned upon the slats 2, the spring unit is next positioned upon the closure plate I2 as shown. It is essential that the closure plate and spring assembly be secured to the frame. To this end the bottom edge of the frame is curved inwardly as at I4 and then curved back upon itself as at I to form a beaded bottom edge with an overhanging lip I6. A wire clip I? is then passed downwardly between the outer edge of the closure plate I 2 and the frame I, as shown in Fig. 3.

The wire clip I! is initially approximately L- shaped and comprises a long straight leg I8 and ashort leg I9 at right angles thereto, the outer end of the short leg I9 being turned upwardly as at to provide a hook. As shown in Fig. 3, when the clip I! is passed downwardly between the edge of the closure I2 and the upstanding wall of the frame I, the leg !9 is positioned parallel to the upstanding wall of the frame I. After the clip is inserted sufficiently so that the leg I9 is below the overhanging lip IS, the clip is then turned 90 to the position shown in Fig. 4. The clip I! is next drawn upwardly until the leg I9 engages the overhanging lip I8 and the leg I8 is then bent downwardly over the channel section strips 6 and the edge of the plate iii as at 2.5 (Fig. 5) thus securely locking the closure plate I2 and spring assembly to the bottom frame. As many clips I! can be used as desired and they, of course, will be positioned between the slats 2 along the two sides of the frame to which the slats are connected. They will also be used along the other two sides of the frame at suitable intervals.

After the spring unit and plate i2 have been assembled to the frame, the cover 4 is drawn over the spring assembly and secured to the bottom frame I preferably in the manner shown in the copending application of Daniel A. Greene, Serial No. 25,771, filed June 10, 1935, which became Patent No. 2,060,465 on Nov. 10, 1936.

The modified form of clip is shown in Fig. 6. Instead of making the clip I? out of wire with a circular section, it, of course, can be made from other forms of wire or steel stock.

In Fig. 6 the clip shown is made of flat strip steel. The bottom frame 26 in this seat construction comprises an inverted V having a return bent bottom edge which forms a bead 21 to which the covering 4 can be secured, as shown in the abovementioned copending application. The flat strip clip 25 initially has a return bent lower edge 28 which forms a hook and a straight long leg 28. The clip is inserted between the inner depending wall of the frame 26 and the edge of the closure plate I2 and section strip I5, and then drawn upwardly so that the hooked end 28 interengages the bottom edge of the depending wall 30. The leg 29 is then bent inwardly and downwardly over the channel section strip 6 and the edge of the plate I2 to secure the spring unit and plate I2 to the frame 26.

I claim:

1. A spring cushion comprising a bottom frame having a lip positioned inwardly of the outer wall of said frame, cross slats fixed at each end to said frame, a bottom plate supported above and spaced from said lip by the said slats and positioned between said lip and below mentioned spring unit, a spring unit mounted on said plate, one or more clips connected to the said spring unit and the lip on the said bottom frame to secure the spring unit, frame and bottom plate together, and a covering for concealing said spring unit, clips and bottom frame,

2. A spring cushion comprising a bottom frame defining an opening having a lip positioned inwardly of the outer wall of said frame, cross slats fixed at each end to said frame, a bottom plate supported by said slats and substantially closing the opening formed by said frame and positioned between said lip and below mentioned spring unit, a spring unit mounted on said plate, one or more clips passing through the joint between the edges of the bottom plate and the frame interengaging said spring unit and the lip on said bottom frame to secure the spring unit, frame, and bottom plate together, and a covering for concealing the said spring unit, frame and clip.

3. A spring cushion comprising a bottom frame defining an opening having an outer wall and a lip positioned inwardly of the said outer wall, cross slats fixed at each end to said frame, a bottom plate supported by said slats for closing the opening formed by the said frame, a plurality of springs assembled as a unit and mounted on said bottom plate, one or more clips each of which has a hooked end engaging the lip on the said bottom frame and extending upwardly between the edge of the bottom plate and the frame and then inwardly over the lower edge of the said spring unit to secure the spring unit,

bottom plate and frame together, and a covering for the said spring unit.

4. A spring cushion comprising a bottom frame having an outer wall and a lip positioned inwardly of the said outer wall, cross slats fixed at each end to said frame, a plurality of springs assembled as a unit and supported by said slats, one or more clips each of which has a hooked end engaging the lip on the said bottom frame and extending upwardly between the edge of the spring unit and the frame and then inwardly over the lower edge of the said spring unit to secure the spring unit and frame together, and a covering for the said spring unit.

5. A spring cushion comprising a bottom frame having an outer wall and a depending lip positioned inwardly of the outer wall and concealed thereby, a spring unit supported by the said frame, the said spring unit comprising a plurality of springs and metal strips securing the springs together at their lower ends, one or more clips having a hooked bottom end interengaging the depending lip on the lower frame and extending between the outer frame and the bottom edge of the spring unit and then bent downwardly over the spring unit to secure the same to the frame, and a covering for said spring unit.

6. The method of fabricating a spring cushion of the type having a bottom frame with a lip spaced inwardly of the outside wall of the said frame, cross slats secured to the frame, a spring unit supported by the said slats comprising the steps of passing a spring clip having a hooked lower end downwardly between the lower edge of the spring unit and the frame with the hook approximately parallel to the wall of the said frame, then turning the clip to position the hook under and interengaging the hook with the lip on the frame, followed by bending the upper portion of the clip inwardly and downwardly over the said lower edge of the spring unit to secure the spring unit and frame together.

MAURICE STUBNITZ. 

